


not fall in love with you

by nvvermore



Series: Fair Game Week 2020 [4]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Birds, Comfort, Fair Game Week (RWBY), Flirting, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not AU, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:54:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23282842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nvvermore/pseuds/nvvermore
Summary: Clover makes a new feathered friend.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Series: Fair Game Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1674403
Comments: 3
Kudos: 54





	not fall in love with you

“Have you heard about soulmates before, Penny?”

Teams RWBY and JNR, along with Oscar and Penny were all gathered around a table in the Atlas dining hall. It was lunchtime, and all the kids were still buzzing from the mornings training session. They had been taking turns telling stories for Penny. The android's lack of knowledge on various myths and fairy tales astounded the group, and so during lunch they decided to tell her the basics of their favorite ones.

Qrow and Clover were sitting at the next table over, vaguely listening to the kids and all their excitement. Qrow was exhausted from this morning, sparring with Clover didn’t help how tired he had been from not sleeping very well the last week. They were across from each other, just enjoying each other’s company and the stories. Qrow was having his third coffee of the day, with no meal.

“You eat like a bird. Have some?” Clover pushed over the other untouched half of his sandwich. Qrow eyed it, and decided to take it, thinking the food wouldn’t be too hard on his already nauseous stomach.

Qrow took a small bite. “If you only knew the half of it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Clover questioned, but was denied an answer when there was a squeal from the table over.

“So anybody who has a complementary aura color could be soulmates!” Penny exclaimed.

“Well not exactly, it’s really just a myth as far as we know, not like the stories about the maidens.” Blake began to clarify. “People have tossed around the idea that people who have aura colors that complement each other are soulmates, but there’s nothing to prove it. People who have all sorts of aura colors fall in love and live happily ever after all the time.”

“Oh but it’s such a romantic notion!” Nora interjected.

“Nora, you and Ren have the  _ same  _ aura color.”

“I know! But that doesn’t mean we aren’t amazing together!” 

“Oh Ruby!  _ we  _ have the right colors!” Penny turned to Ruby, grabbing her hands. “Maybe we are soulmates!” The statement turned Ruby as red as her aura. Qrow chuckled fondly, watching the interaction. He’d eaten most of the sandwich, and was starting to feel a little better. It always surprised him that when he actually ate he started to feel a little better.

“Hmm, let’s see who else could be!” Penny’s perks of being a computer as well as a girl meant having profiles at the ready of all of the people she worked with. She probably wasn’t  _ supposed _ to use it for this, but she was just so enthralled. “Blake and Yang have the right colors too! And so do Captain Clover and Huntsman Qrow!”

A few people glanced at Qrow and Clover sitting together, and then turned back to listen to Penny pointing out more possible pairs.  _ Thanks Penny,  _ Qrow screamed mentally. His nausea came back, and he felt anxious. Nobody was dwelling on this for as long as he was, Clover probably didn't even hear it, at least Qrow hoped Clover didn’t hear it. Qrow dared to look over at the other huntsman, and Clover was just watching him, a small smile on his face. As much as Qrow enjoyed that charming smile, it just made him feel worse in the moment.

”I’m gonna go. Get some air.” Qrow stood up and quickly left the room, not waiting for a response from Clover.

Clover was a little confused to see Qrow rushing out of the dining hall so suddenly, but didn't miss a beat in standing to follow him. In the few seconds it took Clover to enter the large hallway outside of the dining hall, Qrow was already nowhere to be seen. Clover stopped in the middle of the large, empty walkway, spotting something peculiar on the marble floor. He stepped forward, squatting down to pick up a lone soft, black, feather.

“So Ironwood  _ wasn’t  _ kidding?” Clover whispered to the feather. Clover stood back up, his feet taking him to the only place Qrow could go to get some air.

He trekked down the large, pristine Atlas hallways until he came to a large set of automatic sliding doors. Atlas’ greenhouse. Clover let the doors open for him, and he stepped into a whole different world apart from the cold and emptiness of Solitas.

The air was warm and fresh, the artificial sunlight beaming down on him. There was a concrete path that wove around the large park, with soft grass as far as the eye could see. There were large oak trees, and all sorts of plants and bushes. A little ways off there was a sizable koi pond, with a beautiful waterfall. Every so often there were benches and picnic tables, but for the most part at this time of day the lively garden was anything but. He took note of a few birds perched on the trees around him. They were colorful and small, and not quite what Clover was looking for.

He scanned the artificial sky all around him, but it didn't take him long to find a single black bird. And if Clover didn’t already have a little insight, the thought that this bird, this  _ crow, _ might be following him would seem a little crazy. He sat down on a bench nearby, pretending to not notice the bird. He hummed softly to himself, enjoying the indoor garden.

Soon enough, the crow landed on a branch right next to him. “Well hello there.” He greeted. Clover would be lying if he said there wasn't a small part of him that expected the bird might speak back. Instead, the bird just cocked its head, looking at him. Clover decided he would play a little game. 

“I've been looking for my partner. Something seemed to upset him earlier, and he ran off. I hoped to find him here, but it doesn't seem like it.” The crow chirped softly. “You haven't happened to see him, huh little bird?” Clover grinned.

The crow flapped its wings.

“I could sense he was on edge since the morning, and he was a little off his game during training. I've been worried about him, so I just want to make sure he's okay.” Clover held out his hand to the mysterious bird, offering it a new perch. It didn't hesitate before fluttering over to rest in Clover's palm.

“You're a pretty little thing, aren't you?” Clover took a finger and ran it over the crow’s soft feathers. It chirped abruptly, as if it was complaining. “You shouldn't deflect a compliment, you know.” He teased.

“The kids, they pointed out that Qrow and I have opposite aura colors, like soulmates supposedly do. I'll admit it made me happy. Hopeful that I could-” Clover didn't get to finish his thoughts before he was interrupted by a flurry of feathers. Before he could even wrap his head around the sight, Qrow is suddenly standing before him. Hands shoved into his pockets and a pout on his face, blush dusting his cheeks. Qrow says nothing as he sits next to Clover on the bench, pretending to be very interested in toeing around a small rock on the ground.

“So it's true.” Clover breaks the silence.

“Jimmy cant keep his mouth shut.” Qrow complained. He tried to come off as annoyed, but Clover could see right through the wall Qrow was trying to keep between them.

“Ironwood may have mentioned it, for briefing purposes.” Clover turned to Qrow, placing a hand on his knee to calm his anxious writhing. He flashed his eyes up to Qrow’s to see his face painted with fear, eyes downcast. He was terrified of Clover's rejection. “But I think it's amazing,  _ pretty bird _ .” Clover waited until Qrow met his eyes to send the huntsman a wink.

“It's just some magic.” Qrow deflects. Clover raises a brow at him. “It is pretty handy some of the time.” A pause. “A lot of the time. ” Another. “It's pretty cool.” Qrow moves his arm to scratch at the back of his head sheepishly.

“ _ You're _ magical.” Clover laughs, voice full of fondness. Qrow stares at him, stunned into silence. “So… why’d you need to turn into a bird and come all the way out here?”

“I just. The conversation bothered me.” Qrow fiddled with the end of his cape.

“I could tell. The concept of soulmates bothered you. Us potentially being soulmates in particular.”

“It's not that!” Qrow was quick to point out. “I'm just not a fan in general.”

“How come?” Clover raised a brow.

“I hate the idea that anyone would have to be stuck with me as their soulmate.” Qrow admitted shamefully.

Clover didn't miss a beat before responding. “Oh? Well I think anyone would be  _ lucky  _ to have you as their soulmate. Especially me.” Qrow once again seemed to have been silenced by Clover’s words, looking up at the Ace-op in disbelief. Before Qrow could reply with any negativity, Clover took his hands. Studying Qrow for a reaction, He brought one of them to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to the pale back of it.

“I mean it, pretty bird.”


End file.
